Dr Mike C

The heart is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood around the body and returning deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The mitral valve repair long term outcome is generally favorable in patients undergoing surgery to correct mitral valve stenosis or regurgitation.

The function of the heart’s valves is to prevent blood flowing backwards. Pulmonary valve stenosis is a condition affecting one of the heart’s four valves: the pulmonary valve. This article describes how the heart valve works and the symptoms and treatments associated with this condition.

The heart is the organ responsible for supplying the body with oxygenated blood and removing carbon dioxide from the body by causing circulation of the blood. This article will explain the difference between ventricular flutter versus ventricular fibrillation, both types of heart arrythmia.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. This article discusses visual field defects in glaucoma from the two types of glaucoma that most commonly affect people. Glaucoma cannot be cured, but the condition can be managed to reduce further loss of vision.

The spleen has two main functions: filtration of blood to remove old or damaged blood cells and as part of the body’s immune response to bacteria, fungi and viruses. This article addresses the spleen’s functions and the risks and benefits of a splenectomy; the surgical removal of the organ.

Ischemic heart disease or coronary heart disease, refers to a condition where the heart itself gets insufficient oxygen. Agent Orange is a blend of herbicides which was deployed as a defoliant in the Vietnamese War by America. Recently, America has recognized the link between the two.

Heart disease is the biggest killer in the western world. It is estimated that it kills one American every 44 seconds. This article explains the causes of tachycardia, a condition where the heart beats more rapidly, and perhaps less efficiently, than it should.

Heart disease is the major cause of death in the Western World. Congestive heart failure may be treated by the use of a pacemaker to correct arrhythmia. In some recipients of a pacemaker, a condition called pacemaker syndrome may develop. This article explores pacemaker syndrome and its treatment.

People may develop an irregular, inefficient heartbeat for a number of reasons. It can result in extreme fatigue and shortness of breath since the cells of the body are not getting the oxygen they need. The condition can be corrected with a pacemaker. Find out how does a pacemaker work.

Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the Western world. It accounts for 1 in 4 of all deaths in America. This article addresses what to expect in the last days of congestive heart failure.

Genital herpes is the most common STI in America and is believed to afflict one in six Americans between 14 and 49 years of age. Herpes is caused by a viral infection. This article looks at the causes and symptoms of herpes and discusses how to prevent herpes outbreaks by using natural remedies.

Stenosis of the cervix is a fairly uncommon condition which may cause infertility in sufferers. People with this condition may have very heavy periods, painful periods or no periods at all. This article explains what causes stenosis of the cervix and how it is treated.

Estimates suggest that 11% of the American population over 20 years of age show signs of chronic kidney disease. If kidney failure occurs, death is inevitable without a kidney transplant or heamodialysis treatment. This article looks at how vascular access is obtained and the risks involved.

Periventricular leukomalacia is a form of cerebral palsy. The condition tends to affect premature babies with very low birth weights. The incidence of the condition amongst this group is somewhere between four and twenty percent although almost three quarters of still-born premature babies have it.

The kidneys perform the vital function of removing waste products and toxins from the bloodstream and excreting them from the body in urine. However, kidney disease can destroy this function and is fatal if untreated. This article explores how does dialysis work to do the job of the kidneys.

The main risk of contracting hepatitis C from your spouse is through blood-borne contamination. Although the virus can be transmitted sexually, the efficiency of sexual contamination as a pathway for the virus is low.

Urinalysis offers a quick and easy method to test for pregnancy. The accuracy of urinalysis for pregnancy determination will depend on the length of time after the embryo has implanted in the uterus as implantation triggers a rise in the HCG (the “pregnancy hormone”) detected by the test.

Cataract removal is the most common surgical intervention in the Western world in people over 65 years of age. The operation is usually straightforward but there can be complications of cataract removal stemming from infection or as a consequence of the procedure itself.

The optic nerve carries electrical impulses from the retina to the visual cortex in the brain where they are interpreted. Damage can be direct (penetrative injury) or indirect (stemming from blunt force, trauma). The location of the damage dictates the extent of vision loss.

The retina is responsible for converting light into the electrical impulses that can be understood by the brain. The retina can become detached if it tears or breaks allowing vitreous humour to penetrate it and cause it to peel away. If this happens, urgent detached retina surgery will be required.